The Aspen Environment Forum kicks off its four-day event today in Colorado. The Forum, now in it’s fifth year and put on by the Aspen Institute and National Geographic, assembles “a broad spectrum of key thought leaders for rich and engaging dialogue on the challenges of reconciling Earth’s finite resources with its ability to sustain our expanding human needs.”

For traditional conservationists, the goal has been to preserve as much wild nature as possible from encroaching human civilization. A new breed of pragmatists is advocating that we accept the growing needs of humanity as a starting point for conservation – along with the reality that there is no untouched wilderness left to preserve. Earth is a garden, they say, and we are the gardeners. What do these different approaches mean in practice? And what’s the evidence so far – from wildlife corridors to assisted migration to ecosystem restoration – that we’re any good at gardening? The discussion will swoop from philosophical heights into the planet’s burgeoning crop of weeds.

PANELISTS

Jon Foley, Director, Inst. on the Environment, University of Minnesota

Sean Gerrity, President, American Prairie Reserve

Thomas Lovejoy, Biodiversity Chair, Heinz Center

Emma Marris, Author, Rambunctious Garden

MODERATORRob Kunzig, Sr. Enviro. Editor, National Geographic magazine

If you are planning to attend the Forum, we’d love to hear about your experience and encourage you to share your reactions to the panel.